Types of Resonance in Singing

Listening to popular music on the radio provides you with an opportunity to hear different types of resonance. Pop and country singers use much more twang — that sound that’s similar to a cry or whine. The resonance isn’t made with a wide-open throat and a low larynx, but it still can be a pleasant and enjoyable sound.

Other singers, like Frank Sinatra, are called crooners. Crooning is like lazy singing — for example, Sinatra always had a microphone in front of him and wasn’t worried about projecting to the back of the hall. Classical singers use a lower larynx and have to use plenty of brilliant resonating tones, because they don’t have microphones on the stage. Some opera companies amplify the singers, but it’s not common practice.

As you listen to your favorite singers, note the difference in the sound and think about what you have to do with your own voice to imitate those sounds. You probably have to change the space in your mouth and throat, and sometimes even change the position of your larynx. Have fun exploring these sounds as you discover the secrets of resonance.

By experimenting with all the different resonators, you can better achieve a balanced resonant tone in your own singing voice. If you want some ideas of who to imitate, try listening to these pairs of singers to hear drastic differences in resonance: Loretta Lynn and Leontyne Price, Gracie Allen and Kathleen Turner, Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) and James Earl Jones, or Marlon Brando and John Wayne.